Yankees Rumors

GM Candidate: Damon Oppenheimer

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | September 6, 2011 at 5:18pm CDT

MLBTR’s list of general manager candidates introduced 20 people who were identified by their peers as potential Major League GMs. We’re now going to bring you closer to the candidates with a series of pieces. Today the series continues with Yankees executive Damon Oppenheimer.

The Padres were a natural fit for Damon Oppenheimer when his playing career ended in 1985. He was a) a sports-obsessed southern California native b) a former peanut vendor at Jack Murphy Stadium, then the home of the Padres and c) the son of a Padres’ front office employee - Oppenheimer’s mother handled San Diego's minor league operations for decades before retiring a few years ago.

The Brewers drafted Damon as a catcher out of USC in 1985, but it didn’t take long for him to join the Padres as an area scout and begin a career in player evaluation when his playing career ended after one season.

Oppenheimer scouted for the Padres, Rangers and Yankees, both in the U.S. and in Latin America before assuming his current role as the Yankees’ scouting director. Though he continues to scout on special assignments in Latin American and Asia, his primary responsibility is evaluating domestic talent for the amateur draft. Since becoming scouting director in 2005, Oppenheimer has selected the likes of Brett Gardner, Austin Jackson, Ian Kennedy and David Robertson with the help of his scouting staff.

He and I spoke last week; here are some highlights from the conversation:

On the role of statistics in scouting:

Growing up I had always paid attention to them and was always interested as a kid. I followed the normal stats back then – home runs and average and ERAs. When I first got into scouting, I thought it was important. I thought the guys I played with in college, the guys that were good put up good stats, so I thought ‘why not take that into consideration and then on top of using the [scouting] tools we’re always talking about, pay attention to the stats.’

They tell you something and I’ve always liked looking at stats to see how a guy’s doing. I’m a proponent of paying attention to them. You’re not doing your full job if you don’t pay attention to them. I don’t think they tell you the whole story about a player, especially college stats when they’re using aluminum or high school games where the competition level isn’t the same. You can’t rely on stats. You can use them to supplement things and help you understand players.

On mentors in the game:

There aren’t many people who were as fortunate as I was to really grow up in the game. My mother was the assistant to the scouting director then became director of minor league operations for the San Diego Padres, so back in the 1980s, I was constantly around baseball. I was fortunate with that and that’s very unique. A lot of times, guys follow their dads and this is something where I was able to follow my mom.

Sandy Johnson was the scouting director of the Padres back then and he was instrumental with helping me out with what I believed in in scouting.

Then I’ve been fortunate here with the Yankees. The time around George Steinbrenner was tremendous. I learned a lot, whether it was about making decisions, standing up for what you believe, working for a man who wants to win so bad. I learned a lot from him and obviously [GM] Brian Cashman and [senior VP of baseball operations] Mark Newman, the guys here with the Yankees. I’ve been blessed to learn a ton from those guys.

On growing up around the Padres:

I was always a baseball junkie, I was always a sports junkie. I grew up around the Padres and even as a kid, 16 years old, still playing baseball, I had a job at Jack Murphy Stadium [the Padres’ former home] selling peanuts just so I could basically get in for free, sell those until the sixth inning and watch the rest of the game.

On the possibility becoming an MLB GM:

It would be an honor. It would be a great challenge. If the right situation presented itself I think it would be a great opportunity. I’m very fortunate to work for a great organization here and it hasn’t been my main goal that I have to be a general manager someday. I’d like to be, but I do feel blessed to be where I’m at also.

Yankees Designate Lance Pendleton For Assignment

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | September 6, 2011 at 4:16pm CDT

The Yankees designated right-hander Lance Pendleton for assignment, according to MLB.com's Bryan Hoch (on Twitter). Though active roster spots are plentiful this time of year, the move opens up a spot on New York's 40-man roster for George Kontos, whose contract was selected from the minors.

The 27-year-old made his MLB debut in April and went on to post a 3.21 ERA with 5.1 K/9 and 6.4 BB/9 in 14 innings for the Yankees. He spent most of the season at Triple-A, where he posted a 3.10 ERA with 6.1 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 in 66 2/3 innings as a starter and reliever. The Yankees selected the 6'3" Houston native in the fourth round of the 2005 draft.

MLB Voids Contract Of Yankees’ Paniagua

By Dan Mennella | September 3, 2011 at 6:14pm CDT

SATURDAY: Paniagua's suspension was due to "falsified documents," Badler hears from MLB vice president Kim Ng. The league is still investigating the matter and hasn't made a final ruling on Paniagua's status. Ng notes that Paniagua's representatives are asking the league to reconsider the initial decision and that while the right-hander is unable to sign with any team for a year, Paniagua isn't technically "suspended" since he isn't under an official contract yet.

THURSDAY: Major League Baseball has voided the $1.1MM contract of Yankees pitching prospect Juan Carlos Paniagua and suspended the right-hander for one year, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America. MLB hasn't specified — even to the Yankees — why Paniagua has been suspended, but "one-year suspensions are usually reserved for a player who presents false information to teams about his age or identity," writes Badler.

Paniagua is no stranger to these circumstances. The Diamondbacks signed him — then going by the name Juan Collado — for a mere $17K in May 2009. While that contract was under review, Paniagua was allowed to play in the Dominican Summer League under a rule that's since been changed, and he impressed scouts with a big fastball. The contract with Arizona was voided and Paniagua was suspended in June 2010. When that suspension was lifted in March, teams were lining up for his services, with the Yankees placing the winning bid.

His contract once again was pending MLB's review since signing with the Yankees, and he has not played in any games during that time. We can't say for sure why Paniagua was suspended, but Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic speculated in March that the hangup may have been regarding Paniagua's birthday, which he didn't amend even when he came clean about his name:

There still is a lot of skepticism about whether he’ll actually get off the island and into the U.S. The fact that he changed his name, but not his birthday, is a red flag.

Front Office Notes: Beane, Cubs, Epstein, Friedman

By Mark Polishuk | September 3, 2011 at 6:04pm CDT

Here's the latest on some GM vacancies and other front office moves…

Would Billy Beane be a good fit as the Yankees' general manager? Mike Silva of the New York Baseball Digest takes on the question and wonders how Beane would navigate the politics of the Yankee front office. Beane's name has been whispered in connection with the Cubs' GM vacancy, and Silva agrees that if Beane leaves Oakland for any job, it would be in Chicago.
The Cubs have signed Oneri Fleita to a four-year contract extension to continue as the club's vice-president of player personnel, reports Toni Ginnetti of the Chicago Sun-Times. The Tigers were reportedly interested in hiring Fleita, which is why the Cubs moved to lock him up despite the fact that Chicago's GM candidates could have possibly wanted to fill that position themselves.
Three AL East general managers will likely be staying put, says FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal (video link). The Yankees and Brian Cashman are mutually interested in continuing their relationship, Andrew Friedman is "extremely loyal" to Rays owner Stuart Sternberg and since Theo Epstein has one year left on his Red Sox contract, an interested suitor like the Cubs would have to give Epstein the proverbial "offer he can't refuse" in order to convince him to leave.
Also from Rosenthal, he hears from sources close to Ozzie Guillen who feel the manager's recent demand for a contract extension was "a classic Ozzie diversionary tactic" to take the heat off the players. On the other hand, common sense dictates that Guillen wants more job security and doesn't want to risk being fired in mid-season if the White Sox struggle in 2012. One anonymous GM tells Rosenthal to bet on both Guillen and Kenny Williams staying in Chicago, since Jerry Reinsdorf is loyal to both men.

Rosenthal On Papelbon, Yankees, Fielder, Pujols

By Zachary Links | September 3, 2011 at 4:27pm CDT

A Marlins shakeup is looming and the focus is on the team's minor league system, says Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports in this week's edition of Full Count. Jim Fleming, the vice president of player development and scouting, has informed his staff that he will be reassigned. The club's revenues will grow once they move into their new stadium but they still need to do a better job of producing homegrown talent. Let's take a look at some more highlights from Full Count..

The Red Sox are reluctant to give lucrative long-term contracts to closers, but with Jonathan Papelbon they might not be able to resist. Papelbon will want an increase from his $12MM salary, perhaps something closer to Mariano Rivera's $15MM average yearly pay. It's possible that no team will want to go there but Rivera has just one year left on his deal and Rafael Soriano hardly looks like the heir to Mo's throne. Rosenthal wonders aloud if the Yankees would jump in and offer Papelbon a backloaded deal to take over as closer.
The Rangers would seem to be an obvious suitor for Prince Fielder or Albert Pujols, especially in light of Mitch Moreland's recent struggles. Texas will have to spend on pitching if they lose C.J. Wilson in free agency and they might prefer to keep both their payroll and roster flexible. Josh Hamilton is only one year away from free agency and Ian Kinsler is only two years away.
The sale of the Astros to Jim Crane is not yet official and some in baseball believe that he will not be approved as owner. Others, however, view a deal as inevitable. Current owner Drayton McLane wants out and Crane is offering a fair price for the club. Perhaps most importantly, there does not appear to be any other bidders. McLane has been loyal to the commissioner's office and he will want to see that loyalty reciprocated.

GM Notes: Zduriencik, Cashman, Beane, Cubs

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | September 1, 2011 at 3:50pm CDT

The Mariners announced yesterday that they agreed to a multiyear extension with GM Jack Zduriencik. The deal ends speculation about a possible regime change and means there’s one less job opening for GM candidates in MLB. Here are the latest notes on baseball’s general managers…

Multiple high-ranking A’s officials tell Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times that the Cubs haven’t made any contact with Billy Beane about Chicago’s GM opening.
Newsday's Ken Davidoff thinks Brian Cashman will be back with the Yankees next year, partly because of the Mariners' decision to retain Zduriencik. Not only does that remove one possible destination for Cashman, the longtime Yankees GM has been intrigued by the Seattle job in the past.
Carrie Muskat of MLB.com lists Thad Levine of the Rangers, Ben Cherington of the Red Sox, J.J. Picollo of the Royals, Rick Hahn of the White Sox, Michael Hill of the Marlins and former Twins GM Terry Ryan as potential candidates for the Cubs' job.

Yankees Designate Ryan Pope For Assignment

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | September 1, 2011 at 2:48pm CDT

The Yankees designated Ryan Pope for assignment, according to Mike Ashmore of the Hunterdon County Democrat (on Twitter). The 25-year-old right-hander was not on the Yankees' active roster; the club had to designate him to create 40-man roster space for Jesus Montero and Scott Proctor.

Pope, a 2007 third rounder, has split the 2011 season between three of the Yankees' minor league affiliates, mostly pitching at Double-A and Triple-A. In total, he has a 5.12 ERA with 8.9 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 in 45 2/3 innings this year.

List Of Teams Interested In Yu Darvish

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | September 1, 2011 at 8:02am CDT

Yu Darvish apparently intends to pitch in the Major Leagues next year and it would be surprising if he doesn't draw interest from ten-plus teams. The 25-year-old right-hander has a 1.54 ERA with 10.6 K/9 and 1.4 BB/9 in 175 innings this season. Those numbers are typical for Davish, who entered the season with a 1.81 ERA, 9.2 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 in four years with the Nippon Ham Fighters.

Here's a list of which teams have been linked to Darvish in the last calendar year:

Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos is in Japan and saw Darvish pitch, according to Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun.
The Nationals maintain interest.
The Yankees have scouted him heavily.
Rangers GM Jon Daniels watched Darvish in June.
The Orioles had interest last offseason.
The Red Sox have been linked to Darvish.
The Rays watched Darvish about a year ago.

At this point, we don't know whether the clubs above were simply being diligent or whether they intend to make serious bids for Darvish. This list can't be considered comprehensive because other teams have likely been covert about their interest. What we can say at this point is that Darvish would be a welcome commodity in a starting pitching market that's light on top-of-the-rotation pitchers.

AL East Notes: Red Sox, Orioles, Montero, Rays

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | August 31, 2011 at 5:12pm CDT

The Orioles sent Mike Gonzalez to Texas earlier this afternoon, but not before a division rival got involved in the trade talks. Here's the latest from the AL East…

Red Sox GM Theo Epstein responded to speculation about the Cubs' GM opening by saying that he's happy in Boston and “all Red Sox, all the time," according Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.
Gonzalez told MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli that he'd listen to offers from the Orioles if they're interested in signing him this offseason.
ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick looks back at what went wrong for the Orioles this year and starts to address the question of how they can turn things around.
The Yankees were also involved in trade talks for Gonzalez, according to MASNsports.com's Roch Kubatko. However, Baltimore president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail preferred the pitcher the Rangers were offering.
Yankees manager Joe Girardi sounds like he's ready for Jesus Montero to join the team tomorrow, according to MLB.com's Bryan Hoch (on Twitter).
As MLBTR's Tim Dierkes explained earlier today, Montero would have to be added to the Yankees' now-full 40-man roster before getting called up.
The Rays aren't expect to make any deals today, according to Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times (on Twitter).

Montero Among Expected September Call-Ups

By Tim Dierkes | August 31, 2011 at 12:28pm CDT

Last September, 22 players were designated for assignment as teams cleared spots on their 40-man rosters. One reason to open a 40-man spot is to add a September call-up when the active roster expands.

For example, Joel Sherman of the New York Post says the Yankees intend to promote Jesus Montero, but not Manny Banuelos or Dellin Betances. Montero will have to be added to the Yankees' 40-man roster, which is currently full. A spot can be created by designating someone for assignment, or transferring a player from the 15-day DL to the 60-day.

MLBTR's 40-man roster count post indicates that 11 teams currently have at least one open spot on the 40-man. Montero, Martin Perez, and Devin Mesoraco are a few top prospects who would have to be added to 40-man rosters, notes MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo, and the Yankees, Rangers, and Reds are all currently full.

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